Shared Vision
Spring 2010
Music was the inspiration for the founding of the Lighthouse.
A True Story
A few years before Winifred and Edith Holt lit the Lighthouse lamp in 1905 to help people who could not see, the Holt sisters were engaged in another pursuit: studying the arts in Italy. While at a concert in Florence, Winifred noticed a group of school children in the audience who were enthralled by the music. They were blind. Their access to the concert was made possible by a donation of unsold seats. Winifred was so moved by the young boys’ absorption in the concert, she pledged that no seat in a New York City concert hall or theater would go unfilled.
Upon their return to New York City, the Holts established a free ticket bureau in their Upper East Side home parlor in 1903. When they began to distribute tickets to people without sight, they quickly learned that they needed more than access to the arts; they sorely needed services that would provide a brighter future of self-sufficiency. It was then and there that the Holts launched a ground-breaking campaign to train and employ people without vision, prevent blindness — and spread their advocacy work to the four corners of the globe.
From the earliest days, music lessons were integral to Lighthouse services. Scholarships were funded for musicians who were blind, instruction in braille music was offered and the program grew into a formal music school in 1913. Since then, the Lighthouse Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School has flourished and expanded. Today, it’s the largest and only community music school for people with vision loss in the US.
A Curriculum for Everyone
Music is another language — a universal language — that allows people who are visually impaired to participate fully in society. Bringing joy to so many people, music is a great equalizer.
Serving 130 students from ages 5–95 — from beginners to professionals — our Music School is a vibrant center of the arts dedicated to helping students explore their talents and become literate musicians while overcoming the challenges vision loss can pose.
We offer lessons in voice and a multitude of instruments, as well as in music theory, music technology and braille music. Our teachers have degrees from America’s most respected music schools, including Juilliard, the Manhattan School of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music.
Nurturing Young Talent
Saturdays at the Lighthouse are abuzz with laughter, excitement and all manner of musical sounds. That’s when our Comprehensive Music Program for Young People (CMPYP) is held. Drawing students ages 7–18 from the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut and as far away as Pennsylvania, this program offers a one-of-a-kind learning and growing experience.
The kids can’t wait to come each week for a full day of lessons in basic musical skills, theory, sight singing, braille music, music technology, rhythm development and the individualized study of piano, drums, guitar or wind instruments. They participate in group activities like chorus, percussion ensemble, and also delight in taking field trips to Broadway and other cultural venues — all of which foster socialization and build confidence.
“I Want to Be a Piano Teacher”
A few years ago when she was just seven, Gabriella, who is blind, told us, “I’m learning ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ and ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ — and I want to learn to play ‘Für Elise’ by Beethoven! When I grow up, I want to be a piano teacher and a school teacher.”
Today, Gabriella is excelling in piano and braille music — and is on her way to achieving her goals. She is also becoming a stand-out in dance, thanks to our unique, collaborative program with the National Dance Institute (NDI). This exciting addition to the CMPYP curriculum enables students to explore movement and discover another art form that can help them build the self-esteem and self-confidence that come from overcoming obstacles.
Last summer, Gabriella was selected to join a small corps of kids — all of whom are sighted — in an NDI intensive summer program, where she progressed at the same pace as everyone else. Gabriella, who goes to a mainstream school, is completely at ease in this program — and in the sighted world. This is partly due to the wonderful start she received in our integrated preschool, where she learned alongside peers with and without sight.
Talent and kindness seem to go hand-in-hand for Gabriella, pictured here, who received a CMPYP “Cooperative Spirit” award for the warm welcome she always extends to new students, making them feel special and at ease.
On Stage
Performance is an integral part of the Music School curriculum, and students at every age are expected to participate in recitals. They’re also encouraged to audition for one of our ensembles — vocal, percussion, pop/rock and jazz — which perform as part of the Lighthouse Catherine Kramer Concert Series. A highlight of the concert season is “The Lighthouse at the Met,” a collaborative event that pairs a themed musical performance by select soloists and the Vocal Ensemble with a special exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (See page 7 for upcoming concert dates.)
“You can never lessen the expectation for a recital or concert with musicians who are visually impaired because that would be giving in to a disability. They should be held to the same expectation level as musicians with sight who come together as a team to deliver the best possible performance,” says Dr. Leslie Jones, Executive Director of the Music School.
Making Music Accessible for All
The Lighthouse is home to an assistive music technology center that levels the playing field for people with vision loss. We also have a unique library with more than 25,000 scores in braille, large-print and regular staff notation, ensuring that students have access to music in whatever format they prefer. This collection is second only in size to the one housed in the Library of Congress.
The center’s ground-breaking instructional, transcribing, sequencing and composition technologies provide unprecedented creative freedom — and a path to a new career for some like Royce Twitchell. “From the time I was a child, I wanted to be an accompanist. I worked with opera companies and on Broadway, and I wanted to do that forever. Then several years ago, loss of sight killed my career and I suddenly couldn’t work,” she said. “Nobody likes to be in forced retirement, but the Music School has been my salvation.”
After coming to the Lighthouse for low vision services that helped maximize her remaining sight, Royce turned to the Music School to learn a computer music notation program, which enabled her to launch a second career as a composer. Armed with new skills — and a brand new outlook — Royce has written a variety of classical compositions, which have been performed by our own Vocal Ensemble and piano students.
In the Spotlight
One of our CMPYP piano students, 16-year-old Yerko Difonis, is New York State’s first-place winner of the VSA arts Young Soloists Competition. VSA arts is a non-profit organization founded by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to celebrate the power of the arts for people with special needs.
The award is given annually to four outstanding musicians, two from the US and two from the international arena. Winning first place in New York State is a testament to both Yerko’s talent and to the quality of music education he has received at the Lighthouse. His audition recording was submitted for the national adjudication process. As we print this newsletter, we are awaiting word of the outcome.
An Exciting First
Our Music School was recently awarded a multi-year grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) in the Community Music Schools Division. This marks a milestone in our history: the first time that our Music School will receive Council support for excellence. And it provides a highly regarded “seal of approval” that often elicits new and increased support from various other preeminent sources. With this recognition, the Music School is now eligible to apply for additional NYSCA support in other categories, including technical assistance and digitalization projects, as well as for funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Like the talented students who look to the Lighthouse for the very best music instruction, the future of the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School is very bright indeed!
